GOODBYE, VITAMIN : A Novel

New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co., 2017. First Edition, Reprint . Hardback. Very Good/Near Fine. EX-LIB/UNCIRCULATED; no loan pocket. Text, NEW & Bright. Orange linen boards/NF. DJ/Fine under library mylar. Debut novel of Chinese-Amercan social activist, food columnist & writer Rachel Khong (1985 -), recipient of mutiple awards. T'was not so long ago, particulary in the world of women, the age of 30 was basically middle-aged --- one ought to be married, had children and have one's home. Times have changed, nevertheless, 30 still looms large in psyches. Topics are heavy & serious, but Khong's voice remains light as she addresses aging, loss, betrayal, and the coming of age. Khong does well in transforming tragic experiences into a hilarious & captivating novel. 196 pgs, told in diary-style entries, limiting reflections to the present. Experiences of 30-year old Ruth whose fiance has just cancelled their engagement, responds to her mother's call to spend a year back at home. Home, she finds her father, noted professor, with such memory loss that lucid moments are few. 196 pgs in the dairy genre, Ruth's entries move from daily to monthly as she takes on more daily household chores and her mother spends more time away from the house. A temporal episode in time & life.